Night had fallen deep~
The moon in the sky had begun its descent westward.
Inside the towering Umbrella Corporation building, Felia, her neck wrapped in white bandages, hurried anxiously toward the laboratory.
Monts later, she stepped into the lab and imdiately spotted Raven, who had previously escaped. Letting out a sigh of relief, she muttered to herself, "Good, she's back."
If anything went wrong while the boss was away, she knew the consequences would be disastrous.
Nearby, William spoke up confidently, "Dr. Felia, rest assured. With involved, failure is never an option."
On the other side of the room, Erica gave a subtle nod without saying a word. After all, it was William who had captured Raven. She had no reason to claim any credit.
Raven, however, glared at Felia with eyes full of hatred.
It was Felia who had been injecting her with a mysterious drug, constantly suppressing her thoughts and forcing her to act against her will.
Over the past year, Raven had been made to use her shapeshifting abilities to steal classified docunts and sensitive information. Worse still, she had been compelled to satisfy the twisted desires of certain corrupt elites.
Umbrella Corporation's teoric rise over the past year, as well as the rapid establishnt of their Russian base, could largely be credited to her unwilling contributions.
Ignoring Raven's seething gaze, Felia calmly ordered her assistants to bring over a vial of P-30 serum. She then proceeded to inject it into Raven without hesitation.
Monts later, Raven's once vibrant eyes dulled, her expression turning lifeless and wooden.
Setting down the syringe, Felia exhaled deeply. "It seems prolonged use of the P-30 serum leads to resistance. A new mind-control formula will need to be developed soon."
.........
As night gave way to dawn, the skies over New York slowly began to brighten.
In Hell's Kitchen, the smoldering remains of a large fire were just being extinguished.
Nick arrived at the scene with Erik and Lorna in tow.
Gazing at the charred ruins of a once-imposing building, Nick's face darkened.
Dressed in sleek black tactical gear, Natasha approached him swiftly.
"Director, I've gathered so information. There was a firefight here last night, with explosives used. The destruction was extensive."
"Any survivors?"
"There's one—a blind man. He's been rushed to the hospital for ergency treatnt."
"Do we know who was involved in the fight?"
"Local residents claim they don't know, but I suspect the police might have answers."
"They've been bribed?"
"Likely. When I showed my credentials, they claid this matter wasn't under their jurisdiction."
Nick nodded, his expression unreadable. "Not under their jurisdiction—that ans soone higher up is involved."
Hearing this, Erik quickly turned to Natasha. "Any news about Raven?"
Seeing the concern etched on Erik's face, Natasha shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, I couldn't find anything."
Erik's face fell, his eyes dim with worry.
Lorna stepped in to comfort him. "Father, don't worry. If Aunt Raven is still alive, it ans she's valuable to them. They won't kill her so easily."
"Hmm."
Erik nodded, then turned to Nick with resolve. "I'm going to Umbrella to find out for myself."
"Don't act recklessly," Nick said, raising a hand to stop him.
"Half a year ago, Umbrella launched their Sentinel robots specifically to target mutants. If you rush in now, you'll be walking straight into their trap."
At the ntion of Sentinel robots, Erik sneered.
"Hmph. Just a bunch of scrap tal."
Without another word, Erik rose into the air, heading straight for Umbrella Corporation's headquarters.
Lorna quickly followed.
Watching them disappear into the distance, Natasha turned to Nick. "Director, what should we do?"
Nick's eyes glimred with a subtle, enigmatic light, "Let them test the waters. I'm curious to see what's really inside Umbrella."
Over the past year, Umbrella Corporation had enjoyed a teoric rise.
First, they successfully tested reusable rocket technology, launching three to five rockets each month.
Then, Starship Company began taking contracts exclusively from Umbrella, enabling them to deploy over 30 satellites into orbit. Yet, no one knew what these satellites were for.
Next ca the debut of their Sentinel robots, propelling Umbrella into the arms market.
While the Sentinels were officially marketed as being designed to counter mutants, it was no secret that the military was eager to procure them as well.
The arrival of the Sentinels had even cast a shadow over Stark Industries.
On top of that, Umbrella had unveiled a series of groundbreaking pharmaceuticals and costic products, pushing Osborn Industries to the brink.
With backing from both Congress and the military, Umbrella had beco untouchable—even for S.H.I.E.L.D.
This was why, over the past year, Nick had confined his efforts to covert investigations, avoiding any direct confrontation.
..........
As the sun slowly crept over the horizon, Erik and Lorna reached the skies above Umbrella's towering headquarters.
Looking down at the massive complex, Erik held back his impulse to attack imdiately.
He was aware that Blonsky, the man who could transform into an even stronger version of the Hulk, worked for Umbrella.
Erik was cautious. Despite his formidable powers, he knew that a single close-range punch from Blonsky could incapacitate him.
After a brief pause, Lorna broke the silence. "Father, what's the plan? Are we barging in, or do we try asking for information first?"
After so thought, Erik replied, "I'll go down and investigate. You stay here and watch. If things go south, co in and back up."
Lorna nodded but hesitated. "That doesn't sound right. Let go instead, and you can cover from up here."
"No, I'll go."
Before Lorna could argue further, Erik descended swiftly toward the building.
At the entrance, two first-generation Sentinel robots stood guard. As Erik approached, the Sentinels ca to life, their caras locking onto him.
"Beep... Mutant detected."
"Beep... Mutant is registered in the database. Capture mode disabled."
The robots' red warning lights dimd and powered off.
Erik narrowed his eyes.
To gain a legitimate identity and revoke his wanted status, Erik had reluctantly registered under the Mutant Registration Act at Nick's urging.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the benefits were undeniable.
With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s support, he could now move freely and had managed to rally nurous mutants to his cause.
But being coldly "identified" and "dismissed" by the Sentinels now felt like an insult.
Clenching his fist, Erik directed his power toward the robots.
With a resounding "crunch," both Sentinels were crushed into scrap tal.
"Hmph. re human creations," Erik muttered, his pride as a mutant surging.
Standing tall, he strode toward the entrance of Umbrella Corporation.
___________________
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